Key Moments

The wheel is one of the most important of human inventions. For thousands of years its use was confined to Eurasia and Africa. It allowed large scale movement of goods and material.

The measurement of time became important. The first sundials were vertical sticks. The Egyptians used these to divide the day into 12 hours for the daytime and 12 hours for the night. Because of the seasonal variation in daylength throughout the year, the length of the hours was variable. The Babylonians standardised the length of the hour to 1/24th of thre length of the Solar Day.

The invention of writing was another key moment. Information could be passed around without the need for it to be memorised. Knowledge could be passed between generations and peoples. Sumeria developed the cuniform script around 3300 BC; China first used pictograms c3100 BC; Egypt was using hieroglyphic notation around 3000 BC.

Jade was being carved in China c3600 BC. Yoga was being practiced in India c3000 BC. Bitumin was used in the Middle East from surface deposits, c3000 BC.

The area known as the Sahara began turning into desert c3500 BC. The city of Memphis (near modern Cairo), capital of a united Egypt, was founded by Narmer around 3050 BC. Chur, the oldest European town still inhabited, was settled in (modern) Switzerland in 3000 BC. The town of Ohrid was settled in Macedonia c3000 BC.

The Jewish calendar has its start point in 3761 BC. The Mayan calendar dates from 3300 BC.

Around 3000 BC, there was an extensive use of copper in the Great Lakes region of North America. At the same time pottery was developed in the Americas.